I Belong to You (Inside Out #5)(69)

I step close to him, my voice low, tight. “What are you doing here?”

“We need to talk.”

“No. We don’t.”

“Is everything okay?” Crystal asks, coming to my side.

Ryan’s eyes light on her, his lips twisting evilly. “Crystal Smith.”

It’s a seductive threat I don’t miss. “Escort Ms. Smith inside, Jacob.”

There’s amusement in Ryan’s blue stare. Jacob steps between him and Crystal, obviously understanding why the hell I want her out of here. Blake steps to my side. “Shall I drag him out of here by his attitude or his ass, Mr. Compton?” he asks, leaving no doubt he witnessed Ryan’s short address to Crystal.

“We have business,” Ryan snaps. “Are we doing this out here, or inside?”

“We aren’t doing anything at all.” I lift a hand toward Blake. “Escort him by whatever you wish.” I head for the door.

“Someone dirtied up my financials,” Ryan calls out loudly. “Do you want me to tell the press who I think did it?”

I pause but don’t turn, my lips curving into a brutal twist. “If you want to announce the mismanagement of your business in the financial capital of the world, enjoy yourself.” I enter the building, where Crystal is waiting for me.

She looks at my face and shakes her head. “Oh, no. What did you do, Mark?”

“Not enough. But I’m about to.” Knowing Crystal’s determination for answers, I grab her arms and carefully set her aside, and I head toward the conference room.

All three of the Walker brothers are tall, dark, and in my face from the moment they enter the Riptide conference room. I swiftly dismiss their questions about Ryan and everything else until we are all seated, and I’m in full command of the room. I claim the head of the rectangular table, and Royce and Blake are quick to claim the seats to either side of me. Luke sits next to Blake and Jacob next to Royce.

“Do you have the lab results?” I ask, getting right to the point.

“They’re clean,” Royce replies curtly. Everything about the man is gruff. “But you won’t be, if you pursue the poison-pill vengeance that my brother did. It’s our job to save your ass, Mr. Compton.”

Luke leans forward. “What we are trying to get across is that Ryan showing up and throwing around accusations that you’re after vengeance—when Corey’s already saying you beat the shit out of him—isn’t in your favor.”

My lips thin and I fix Royce, the brother in charge of Walker Security, in a hard stare. “You want to save my ass? Find Ava. And don’t give me ‘we’ve been trying.’ Try harder. And while you’re at it, link Ricco or Ryan to Ava.” I glance around the room. “Can any of you tell me you’ve done any of these things?”

“No,” Blake answers for them all. “And we’re pissed-off as a motherf*cker, too. If they can be found, we will find them.”

“That’s what I used to think. Then I hired someone else who got the job done.”

“Who?” Royce snapped. “And define ‘got the job done.’ ”

“There’s a group of ‘treasure hunters’ I’ve hired in the past to locate high-profile art pieces. Pieces that collections keep underground, so to speak, to prevent theft. Their success rate has been exceptional, so I was more than willing to see what they could do outside the art community.”

“That’s who you were talking to on the phone last night, after your father’s practice,” Jacob says.

“Yes,” I say. “My objective for the hunter I’m working with was to find Ava, and to prove Ryan was involved in Rebecca’s murder. He failed to connect the dots with Ryan.”

“So you decided to financially ruin him,” Blake concludes. “Which is why he was here today.” He runs a hand through his hair now neatly tied at his nape. “I can’t fight a small amount of admiration. And it’s better than killing him.”

Royce growled, “It’s still illegal.”

But it feels good, I think, still fighting with myself over what I’m about to do. I flip open the folder in front of me and remove a stack of documents. I hesitate, then remind myself that this is the fastest way to protect Crystal, my parents, and my employees.

I set the documents in front of Royce, effectively giving up my role as vigilante. “There should be enough there to arrest Ryan for money laundering. It also proves he had cash no one thought he had. In a couple of days I’ll have a deeper file, but I want him off the streets now—not later.”

Royce grabs the paperwork and thumbs through it. He glances up at me. “It’s enough. I can get this to the right people and make it happen.”

“Today,” I say.

“It’s likely to be Monday.”

“Not good enough.”

“Today,” Blake agrees. “I saw his interaction with Crystal this morning. I don’t trust the bastard.”

“Let me make this perfectly clear,” I say, my irritation grinding through my tone. “I want to kill him. You say you want to protect me from myself. So get him off the streets.”

Royce clenches his jaw. “I’ll make it happen today.”

I reach into my folder again. “Next topic. Ava.” I toss the picture of her and Jimenez on the table, and Royce picks it up as I continue. “I scanned this and sent it to my attorney a few minutes ago. She’s alive and on the run with a deadly mercenary named Jimenez. From what I understand, he comes with a price tag few can afford.”